Brightstar Europe to enter Netherlands and Belgium through acquisition

Brightstar Europe is planning to enter the Netherlands and Belgium through the acquisition of the Mobile Communication Company (MCC), which already operates in the two countries.

MCC, which is currently part of the Triade Group, specialises in IT and consumer electronic distribution. It already has relationships with HTC, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

The acquisition will also see Brightstar’s IT partner, Tech Data acquiring other parts of the Triade Group.

Through the acquisition, Brightstar will introduce BlackBerry products to the Dutch and Belgian markets.

Brightstar Europe president Rod Millar said: ‘MCC has an excellent reputation in both the Dutch and Belgian markets with a skilled workforce, a strong vendor portfolio and a loyal customer base. We look forward to driving the business forward by taking advantage of the growth opportunities that exist in a converging market.’

The acquisition is still waiting for approval from EU regulatory bodies, but if the proposed transaction goes ahead MCC will continue to trade separately from Brightstar Europe.

Huub Lamers, CEO of MCC, will lead the Benelux management team, reporting to Rod Millar, with Ronald Albers remaining as country manager for Belgium.

Lamers added: ‘With this step, MCC will play an important role in further establishing Brightstar Europe’s presence in the region whilst maintaining MCC’s longstanding, excellent market position in both countries.

'At the same time, our customers and vendors will enjoy the benefits of being an integral part of a larger business and our employees will benefit from enhanced career opportunities within an international organisation.’

The acquisition is the second for Brightstar Europe in three months. In May this year, Brightstar acquired Austrian distributor AKL.

The distributor, which entered the UK just over two years ago, is now operating in 13 European countries.

One source said: ‘Brightstar are obviously interested in growing their presence in Europe. They are looking to grow organically, but these acquisitions are a logical step for them as well.’